UK faces even bigger terror threat than US, warns Obama

Warning: President Barack Obama believes the UK faces a greater terrorist threat than the U.S. does

Britain faces a greater threat from terrorists than the United States does, Barack Obama said yesterday.

The President's stark assessment came as it was revealed that four U.S. soldiers had been killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan.

Security chiefs have admitted that Britain's fighting presence in the country makes it a more prominent terrorist target.

And Mr Obama made the same point yesterday, saying: ' The mission in Afghanistan is one that the Europeans have as much if not more of a stake in than we do.

'The likelihood of a terrorist attack in London is at least as high, if not higher, than it is in the United States.'

Praising the 'extraordinary efforts' of British troops, he said: 'The contribution of the British is critical. This is not an American mission.'

The President added that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had committed troops to Afghanistan not because they wanted to 'put their young men and women in harm's way' but 'because of a recognition that we've got a serious fight on our hands and we've got to deal with it smartly, but we've got to deal with it effectively'.

The four American soldiers were in the south of the country when they were killed on Saturday, the military said.

The loss of the troops was one of the biggest casualty tolls since the U.S. Marines launched Operation Strike of the Sword against the Taliban on July 2.